


Bittersweet Moments of Clarity and Happiness

by PridefulSinner



Series: Promised Roads. [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Heartache, Reunion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-05
Updated: 2016-09-05
Packaged: 2018-08-13 05:51:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7964920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PridefulSinner/pseuds/PridefulSinner
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Darcy finds out everything, sets out on a mission of her own and she's not quite sure if the outcome will be one in her favor or not.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bittersweet Moments of Clarity and Happiness

**Author's Note:**

> First; I wrote this entirely in about an hour, seems like Darcy and other muses actually wanted to cooperate and get this part done. Hurray!
> 
> If anyone is OOC, I'm sorry. If any events are out of Order, I've not seen the film since it was in theaters, I'm working off of memories here.

Darcy’s word slows to a blur for all of five minutes, before she’s up and stumbling towards the door, her breath is caught in her throat and her eyes panicked as she tries to from words, she can’t keep languages straight, “Irina, nu se poate, I have to… I.” She looks up with wide blue eyes as two warm calloused hands clasp down on her arms, concerned brown eyes and a sad smile, her expression reading nothing but understanding. Darcy nearly sags in her embrace.

“Go, Darcy. Go!”

She nods, and with one last squeeze to her arms, Irina releases her and Darcy is running.

She moves quickly through the library, snatches her bag and quickly picks up her phone she dials Jane, not caring that it’s only seven in the morning there.

She’s out of breath and trying to fight back tears as she listens to the phone ring and ring until finally Jane answers, “Darcy?”

Darcy let’s out a strangled cry as she rushes up the stairs to her apartment, she makes it inside before she slumps against the door, panting and trying to calm her breathing enough to talk.

“Darcy?! Are you alright? Oh my god! I just turned on the TV, Darcy?! Darcy, talk to me!”

“Jane…” She sobs, scrubbing a hand against her face as she pulls her knees to her chest, “They’ve got him… They’ve _got_ him Jane, James!”

Darcy, if she were in her right mind, would be proud at how quickly Jane puts two and two together. “Oh Darcy…”

Darcy sobs, head buried in her knees. “I… I left work, I Don’t know where they’re taking him, Jane… I have to see him.”

She can hear Jane shuffling around as she wills her heart not to beat straight out of her chest. “They’re heading to the American CIA detention center… Darcy, are you sure?”

She nods for a minute before she realizes that Jane can’t see her, “I’m sure Jane. I have too, I...”, She’s biting down on her bottom lip, looking up at the ceiling closing her eyes tightly as she forces the tears to stop. “I love him, Jane. I have too.”

“Okay, but be careful Darcy, you call me if you need anything, scream for Heimdall to get Thor if you need to.” Darcy loves Jane Foster, she really does.

“Okay, Jane-y. I will, I’ve got… I’ve got to get things together; I have…”

“Go, Darcy. You’ve survived aliens, this is nothing in comparison, right?”

Darcy lets out a strangled laughs and scrubs at her face with the back of her hand as she agrees and the two hang up. It’s with a new determination that Darcy packs a go bag, she grabs everything she could possibly need before locking up her apartment. She’s not sure if she’ll ever step foot in it again and its bitter sweet. She presses a kiss to her finger tips before pressing them to the door frame and walking off. She had a train to catch.

 

Of course, as things often go. She misses them.

She’s seated on a park bench, sniffling and scuffing her shoe against the floor, because now she has no idea where they are. They’re gone and in hiding, she can’t just waltz in and demand what’s going on. That will only land her in a cell.

She sighs and looks up at the sky, her face is red and blotchy and she’s so tired, but she can’t just turn around and go home. She has to know what’s going on, she has to find them, she has to _help._

She nearly falls off the bench as her phone rings and an unknown number appears, she’s hesitate before pressing accept. “Hello?”

“Hey there, Sparky.” She visibly relaxes at the warm voice that greets her and she has to bite back a sob.

“Oh god, _Clint.”_

“Hey, hey. None of that, Darce. I heard from a little birdy that you were searching for a national icon, huh?”

She has to swallow back her tears, “Yeah. Can’t find that damned monument anywhere, got any ideas? No one seems to be of any help around here.”

“Well, Scarlet and I are heading there ourselves, going to take in the sights, we can pick you up along the way, where are you?”

She wants to cry again; she could kiss Clint Barton right now.  “I’d love to tag along, I’m in a park not far from the Center.”

“Okay, got ya. Darcy, meet us outside the café two blocks south, you’re sure about all this?”

“Positive, I’ll see you soon.’

Clint sounds like he’s about to say something else, before he changes his mind and instead just says, “Yeah, see you in about twenty.”

Darcy hangs up her phone and takes a few calming breaths before she stands, shoves her hands into her pockets and heads to the café indicated.

It takes thirty minutes before a black van pulls up along the curb. She’s got a to-go holder full of coffees while she’s trying to nurse her own mug of tea with shaky hands.

The window rolls down, “Get in loser, we’re going shopping.”

She barks out a laugh, standing on wobbly legs as she approaches the van. That term coming out of Wanda Maximoff’s lips is something she’s finding hilarious at the moment. “Yes ma’am, here. Drinks.”

The back door slides open and she’s greeted by an unfamiliar face, “Ooh is that coffee? That smells amazing, Hi. I’m Scott.”

She quirks a brow and takes the man’s hand as he helps her into the van.

“Tea for Wanda, but yea. There’s plenty. I’m too jittery to drink mine, you can have it.”

“Thank you, Darcy.” Wanda says softly, passing Clint his cup and handing the spare to Scott.

“Least I can do.” She offers with a sad little twist to her lips.

She catches Clint’s eyes in the rearview mirror and she has to look away, “where are we headed anyway?”

“Airport, we’ve got to meet up with someone first.” Clint answers, navigating the streets with practiced ease, “Darce. I don’t want you mixed up in all of this, we all know the risk, but…” He sighs, and she catches his eye again, “I know not to try and stop you when you’ve got your mind set on something. Your Tasers are in the back, just in case though.”

Gingerly, she stands as best she can in the van and moves forward placing a kiss to Clint’s cheek. “Thank you.”

He simply nods his head, “Why don’t you try to rest, it’ll be a few hours before rendezvous time.”

 

She nods, settling down in the back and closes her eyes, she drifts off into light sleep.

 

Sometime along the ride, she must have dozed off into a deeper sleep because she’s only woken up when she hears the door slide open and she startles.

It takes her a minute to understand her surroundings and by the time she exits the van, Scott’s embarrassing himself in front of Steve, who furrows his brows as he sees her exit the van.

“What are you doing here, D-“ He’s interrupted by James though, who quickly rounds the little VW Bug he’d been standing behind.

“Darcy?”

She has to bite back another sob as she nods, taking first one tentative step forward before she’s running and throwing her arms around his neck, burying her nose against it and crying.

It takes a moment before he winds his arms around her middle and hold her close, inhaling deeply as he hides his face against her hair.

“Huh, seems he’s got more game than you, Steve.” Sam says deadpan.

Darcy hiccups a little laugh, pulling away only to have her face framed in two familiar hands, although one much more metallic than the last time she saw it.

She purposely reaches up and winds her fingers around the cool metal fingers, giving them a tight squeeze watching once again as the unease fades a bit from his eyes at the contact.

“Doll, what’re you doing here?”

“I saw the news, James… I… I couldn’t just leave it, so I called Jane. She must have called Clint and he helped me get here. I, oh James.” She sighs, hiding her head against his chest once more.

She can feel his fingers shaking slightly as they comb through her hair, he’s in awe that she came all this way, after seeing everything the news had to offer, that she still came to find him.

“Bucky?” Steve asks, brow furrowed in confusion. “How do you know Darcy?”

Darcy turns her head, still in the comforting and familiar embrace of James’ arms. “We met in Bucharest, he came into the library where I worked, we’ve been kind of inseparable since.”

“Doll, how do you know Steve?”

She laughs lightly, rubbing her nose against the fabric of his shirt before pulling away a bit. “You know Jane?” He nods, and a bit of clarity forms on his face. “Foster, Jane. Lead Astrophysics in development of the Einstein-Rosen Bridge, not a necessary Target as of yet. Partner to Thor of Asgard, off-world.” He repeats the words in a monotone like voice and Darcy cringes a bit before he shakes his head and looks down at her, “Your Jane, is Jane Foster?”

She nods, “Through Jane and Thor, I met the others. I was living in the tower after London and decided I had enough, looks like nothing can really keep me out of this world, huh?” There’s a wry little smile to her lips.

James just huffs a laugh, “I could tell trouble followed ya everywhere, Doll. Didn’t know it was this much.”

She shrugs a shoulder, “It’s a gift, are you alright?”

His face melts at the concerned tone to her voice, her eyes roaming every available inch of him seeking for any damage, her fingers fisting in the fabric of his shirt. “I’m fine, Doll. Got my head on straight for now, more so, now that you’re here but it ain’t safe, Darcy. I can’t have you hurt ‘cause of me.”

“Bucky’s right,” She’s cut off from even saying anything by Steve, “Darcy. What we’re about to do, it’s not easy, and it’s not safe. None of us want to see you hurt.”

She sighs, the fight draining out of her a bit. “Yeah. I know, I don’t think my tasers will hold up much of a fight against any of you or the others, I just…” Her eyes turn back James, his own hadn’t left her face. “I had to see you again, I had to… James.” She never expected an Audience for this sort of thing, but she’s got one even if Clint and Wanda were doing their best to not pay attention to the couple, Steve and Sam both looking away in some semblance of privacy while Scott went back to find his coffee. “I had to see you again, I had to let you know, I had to tell you.”

His hands cup her face again, warm flesh thumb brushing along her jaw, putting a stop to her wrambling, “tell me what, Darce?”

“I love you.”

The smallest of smiles graces his features as he presses his forehead to hers, their nose to nose and she’s gone a bit cross-eyed looking up at him, but she’s surrounded in nothing but his warmth and scent and the familiar feeling of safety she’s always felt with him is all around her, “and I love you, Darcy.” He whispers against her lips, before pressing a sound kiss to them.

She’s not sure when she started crying again, but she returns the kiss, her arms wrapping tightly around his neck, she never wanted to let go, but she has too. She knows she can’t keep him from this fight, she can’t keep him from any of this. She wouldn’t want too, no matter how much she wanted to keep him safe.

“I love you James, please be careful.”

“I’ll try, Doll.”

Her heart arches a bit, it’s not a promise, because it’s one she knows he can’t keep, but it’ll do for now.

She pulls away from him then, catching his metal hand in hers and squeezing it as tightly as she can. She knows he can feel the pressure, and her grip is white knuckled as she looks at the others. “All of you, be careful and stay safe. I…” She squeezes her eyes shut, “I don’t want to lose any of you, you hear? I want you all back safe and sound, damn it!”

Clint chuckles, stepping forward and wrapping her in his arms, kissing her temple lightly. “You head back, okay? You go to the farm, you stay with Laura and the kids and stay safe. When this is all over, that’s where we’ll go, okay?”

One hand is still trapped in a vice grip in James’ but she nods against the archer’s neck, fighting off the tears, she’s tired of crying. She’s so tired. “Okay.” She promises, if anyone would be able to keep her occupied in this chaos, it would be Laura Barton.

“I’ll expect welcome home muffin’s Lewis,” Sam teases, wrapping her in his own hug, before releasing her to Wanda.

“Do not worry Darcy, I will help with making them. We all know how many Sam likes to eat all the good ones.”

Darcy laughs and squeezes the younger woman tightly, “Stay safe, Wanda.”

Wanda smiles softly and nods, pressing a kiss to Darcy’s cheek.

Wanda steps back, and she and the others congregate around the back of the bug, pulling out what looks like Steve and Sam’s uniforms and other bits and bobs of equipment, giving the three the most privacy they can in the space provided.

Steve wraps them both in his arms, he presses a kiss to the top of Darcy’s head and she inhales sharply. “I’m sorry, Darce.”

She shakes her head, “No. Don’t. It’s not your fault.”

His smile is a little twisted as he pulls away, “It kind of is though.”

She shakes her head and sighs, finally releasing Bucky’s hand and throws her arms around the Captain hugging him fiercely. “If you’re anythin’ like the Grant, James told me stories of. You were only ever trying to help, and it’s not your fault. You be safe, keep them safe and go Save the world, it’s what you do.” She presses a kiss to his cheek and sighs against the skin as he gives her an extra squeeze.

His eyes are a little glassy when he pulls away, but he nods and turns to the rest of his team. “It’s time to suit up, Darce, I messaged a friend to come and help you back to the States, she should be here soon, you can trust her I promise, her names Sharon.” He pauses, ignoring the snort from Sam, “Buck. Join us in a minute?

James nods, watching his friend walk away before he turns back to Darcy. “C’mere, Doll.”

She steps forward, letting him wrap her in his arms. “You do as Barton says, okay? Go back to the states, we’ll find you when we’re done and everything’s okay, okay? I promise, I will find you when everything is better.”

She nods against his shoulder and squeezes him tightly.

They share another sweet kiss and he brushes his thumbs across her cheeks to rid them of the tears, “I love you, Darcy.”

“I love you too, go help save the world.”

He smiles softly and gives her hand one last squeeze, stepping away as a new car enters the parking garage and a blonde woman exits, Sharon shares a look with Steve and Bucky nods to Darcy.

She takes a deep breath and turns on her heel, heading to the car and slipping quietly into the seat, her heart breaking as Sharon re-enters the vehicle and pulls it from the garage, she watches the fading image of James in the side mirror until he’s no longer visible.

Sharon just gives her a small smile, reaches out and offers a hand as they head to the next airport.

Darcy accepts the comforting gesture and squeezes the other woman’s hand tightly and closes her eyes, pressing her forehead against the cool window. There’s a sense of dread building in her stomach, but she pushes past it. She has to believe everything will be okay, she’s survived two Alien invasions, she could survive this.

She just hoped they would too.


End file.
